Innovations and commercialisation of new findings

KTH´s own research effort is an integral part of our innovation system. This is instrumental in helping us to create new and commercially viable products, new processes and improved infrastructure from budding ideas of every description.

Universities add to economic growth

As discussions arise about economic growth, on the global scale as well as nationally and regionally, our universities are regarded as an important partner in the process. This has also led to a new and different attitude towards scientific research. In order to strengthen economic growth, increased joint effort with other actors is now the academic message of the day.

Patents, licenses, risk capital, spin-off companies, entrepreneurs, incubators, technology parks, centres of excellence, competence centres – all of these are new, or almost new examples of the new academic “avant-garde” vocabulary. Hence modern research, especially that of our technical universities, needs to stand on factually sound and scientifically motivated legs, both in theory and in practice, so as to be fully justified. This applies to every kind of research project, whether it be basic, strategic or applied research.

In addition to this, KTH is running a number of joint projects with established national industrial corporations; here the potential spin-off is taken care of directly by the companies themselves. Examples of such schemes are the VinnExcellence Centres run by Vinnova, with KTH hosting one-third of Vinnova´s present ten-year research programmes. All of these are managed in direct co-operation with Swedish industry.

KTH puts its heart into commercialisation

An important ingredient of ”getting things moving” is to establish communication channels between all parties involved – academy, industry, society, and the financial world. Thanks to the KTH effort, a large number of budding business enterprises have thrived under the wings of the KTH “eco-system” and are now representing a considerable stock market value.

Support on the way

”KTH Innovation” exists specifically to offer KTH´s researchers and students support in making interesting new projects commercially viable. This includes innovation support, legal support and business development, agreement writing, initial financing, etc. Thus KTH Innovation is an important contact channel between our support effort and the individual researcher or student at KTH.

Also, KTH maintains close contacts with incubators who are fostering start-up companies and technology transfer schemes. One of the largest is STING, Stockholm Innovation and Growth. In addition, KTH has contacts with risk capital ventures who are specialising in early financing solutions, such as KTH Chalmers Seed Capital.